A Tug of War

Denge, a frustrated and rebellious young man meets Yasmin, a young Indian-Zanzibari girl in the middle of the night as she is on her way to be betrothed to a man three times her age. This sparks a series of missed opportunities for the forlorn lovers. Yasmin is rejected from her own family after escaping an oppressive marriage. She seeks refuge at Mwajuma’s house in the Swahili quarters of the segregated island, submerging herself in an oppressed yet effervescent culture that she had always been secluded from. Here Yasmin reconnects with Denge who is deeply immersed in the independence struggle against British rule, busy translating and distributing Soviet propaganda. She is pulled towards his ideals of independence as he feels free around her. When Denge’s recklessness lands him behind bars, it’s up to Yasmin to be part of the larger struggle and free the one she loves.

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